The top 4 public speaking mistakes—and how to fix them

What your executive must do to improve as a speaker and persuade an audience.

By Angela DeFinisMarch 17, 2011

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After working with a number of executives during the past few months, I’ve noticed some common pitfalls that diminish the quality of an executive’s presentation. These public speaking mistakes affect executives across the board, regardless of industry or profession.

Like everyone else who speaks to groups, executives must spend time with their messages prior to delivering them. Many, however, employ formal speechwriters who create the content and pass it around to other senior leaders for approval. As a result, the message goes through many rounds of edits, incorporating the points of view, spin, and requirements added by others That’s a lot of time devoted to creating content.

If only executives would give the same amount of time and attention to actually practicing and rehearsing the delivery of their speeches prior to appearing before an audience. This lack of preparation causes common blunders. These include: